ECU Baseball Set to Host Southeastern in Final Games of 2013

The GamesThe East Central University baseball team will play its final games of the 2013 season, April 26-27 when they host Southeastern Oklahoma State for a three-game Great American Conference series. The Tigers and the Savage Storm will battle in a single game, Friday, April 26 at 2 p.m. and through a double-header, Saturday, April 27 starting at 1 p.m.

The CoverageFans who can’t be at the game can find links to live stats and live video (if available) on ECUTigers.com. Go to the baseball schedule page.

Scouting SoutheasternThe Savage Storm are 22-18 overall and 14-13 in the GAC, currently in seventh-place in the standings. Southeastern will be playing to try and earn a spot in the 2013 GAC Tournament, which takes the top six teams. The Savage Storm with 2-1 last weekend against Southwestern.

Southeastern has a .285 batting average on the season and is holding its opponents to a .255 mark. The Savage Storm has a tight 355/323 hits advantage and 229 to 216 runs scored lead on the year.

The Savage Storm have two key pitchers on a large staff. Vance Woodruff has gone 4-7 on the season in 81.1 innings of work and a 3.10 ERA. He has allowed 69 hits and 37 runs, while striking out 80. Brandon Marris adds a 4-3 mark with a 3.56 ERA in 78.1 innings. Marris has allowed 80 hits and 46 runs, while recording 59 strikeouts.

Against the Savage StormIn the 2012 series, it was the Tigers who were fighting to earn a spot in the GAC Tournament when they meet Southeastern on the road. ECU went 2-1, but missed the final spot in the tournament by one game. ECU hit .300 in the series, while the Savage Storm were close with a .298 average.

Senior Paul Guardado is the top returner at the plate, with a .400 average, two hits, two runs scored and one RBI. Junior Ethan Gold tallied three hits, two runs and three RBIs, with a .250 average.

Senior Hernan Vivas threw four innings against Southeastern, allowing two hits and one run.

Nick Grimmett is the top returner at the plate for the Savage Storm. Grimmett tallied one hit, one run and two RBIs with a .500 average.

Brandon Marris picked up a win on the mound in seven innings. He allowed three hits, no runs and struck out three. Cameron Mann threw 5.1 innings against the Tigers, with five hits and one run allowed and striking out five.

Grace Stepping OutSenior Mac Grace has stepped up his performance in the final games of the 2013 season. The Tulsa, Okla., native currently has a 13-game on-base streak in progress that dates back to March 23.

Breaking the StreakWith the 3-2 come-from-behind win at Oklahoma Christian (March 18), the Tigers broke a 12-game losing streak that had started Feb. 22 at Henderson State. During the span ECU played nine of those games on the road and had three one-run games.

Mariano Making MovesJunior Michael Mariano has been strong at the plate for the Tigers. The Okmulgee, Okla., native has a current hitting streak of 15 games going and has been on base in all 18 games that he has appeared at the plate.

Golden Grand SlamJunior Ethan Gold hit the Tigers first grand slam of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning against Ouachita Baptist, Feb. 17. The home run was the first of the season for Gold and capped off a 14-run inning for ECU.

Shutting Out the OppositionIn the second game of the four-game series at Abilene Christian, seniors Andrew Olson and Gabriel Martinez combined to shutout the Wildcats and ECU went on to win 3-0. Olson picked up the win and threw five innings, striking out three batters and allowing five hits, but no runs. Martinez pitched the last two innings to earn the save, with no hits allowed and two strikeouts.

Benny Banging AwaySenior Benny Woodard was the first Tiger to earn a hit in the opening weekend of action, with a double. The Kennedale, Texas, native garnered a home run, two doubles, five hits, four RBIs and a .455 batting average in the first four games.

GAC Preseason PollThe Tigers were picked to finish 10th in the 2013 Great American Conference Baseball Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.

Southern Arkansas was picked to finish first, with 63 points and seven first-place votes. Southeastern earned the second spot, with 56 points and one first-place votes. Arkansas Tech was the only other school to receive a first-place vote and finished third (48 points). Ouachita Baptist (44 points), Southwestern (35 points), Harding (29 points), Henderson State (22 points) and Arkansas-Monticello (17 points) round out the field.

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